Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Ukraine. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Modi visited Moscow a few weeks ago and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi's visit to Kyiv was remarkable. When he visited Moscow in July, Ukraine and some Western countries reacted strongly. "I am saddened that the leader of the world's largest democracy went to Moscow and embraced the bloodthirsty people of the world," Zelensky said. '
So now the question is, did Narendra Modi go to Kiev to appease Zelensky and the Western leaders? Probably not. Balancing relations with two countries or areas of conflict is not new in Indian foreign policy. Delhi has maintained a non-negotiable position in the geopolitical world for decades. Modi's visit to Kiev on Friday was the first visit by an Indian leader to Ukraine. This is more than a sign that Delhi will pursue closer ties with Moscow. However, Narendra Modi's India is working with the Western world. Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, a think tank in Washington, said the visit would strengthen India's independence. Kugelman also said that India is not doing anything to undermine Western powers. The visit was aimed at promoting India's interests and restoring ties with Kiev and showing continued concern over the ongoing conflict.
However, India has always emphasized the importance of respecting regional integrity. At the same time, pressure for mediation and dialogue to end the conflict in Ukraine has continued. Hours before Modi was to visit Moscow in July, Russian forces attacked Ukraine, killing 41 people. Meanwhile, a children's hospital in Kiev was attacked. The whole world was angry. The Indian Prime Minister said the death of the child in the attack was very sad and horrifying. India did not blame Russia for the attack. Relations between India and Russia
India's Narendra Modi should not deviate from this policy during his visit to Kiev. However the United States and its Western allies have fully accepted Delhi's position. Moscow and Delhi have long been friends. India is also dependent on Russian military equipment. India is the largest arms importer in the world. The country recently expanded its sources of weapons and imported military equipment. Production also increased. Despite all this, more than 50% of weapons and military equipment were imported from Russia. India has increased its oil imports from Russia. Last year, Russia was India's largest oil consumer. Delhi is buying oil from Russia and getting cheap prices. The US and its Western allies have repeatedly asked Delhi to clarify its position on the conflict in Ukraine. Although Delhi didn't react, it didn't show any strong penalties or pressure. From a Western perspective, India's power policy compares favorably with China. Therefore, the West does not want to disturb this position. India is currently the fifth largest economy in the world. The market for businesses is growing. Michael Kugelman said the West welcomed Modi's visit to Kiev. It looks good. They want the journey from Delhi to be visible to all stakeholders. This is really amazing. India wants to promote good relations with the West, especially with the United States. They do not want to hinder the development of the relationship in any way. The US ambassador to India, Eric Garsty, recently said that it should not be considered a "relationship for the sake of good relations". And from the Chinese context
Russia has forged closer ties with China in recent years. India needs the West for this. Many observers believe that Narendra Modi himself can play a role in bringing peace in the Ukraine conflict. India has close ties to the West and Russia. However, it cannot be said with certainty that Modi will come up with a plan for peace. - I don't think Modi has any intention of mediating peace talks until Russia and Ukraine agree, Kugelman said. In this case, I don't think they agree. '
Kugelman cited another reason why India did not initiate mediation. In other words, India wants to see these problems as internal problems. For example, Delhi does not like this move on Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Zelenskyi government welcomed Modi's visit to Kiev with open arms. Ukraine sees this event as an opportunity to get closer to Moscow's neighbors. There has been very little in that area since the beginning of the war. Zelensky can criticize Putin before Modi. Modi has similar experiences in Western cities of the past. Russia will also ignore this visit. Because it can be seen that India's multilateral strategy in geopolitics. However, it is true that India has a bigger agenda for this visit than reiterating the alliance policy. Good relations with Europe
In the last ten years, India and Europe have been doing more. In relatively small countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Apart from this, India wants to maintain good relations with the four European powers (UK, Italy, Germany and France). They also want to build good relations with other European countries. On this visit, Narendra Modi visited Poland before Ukraine. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in 45 years. Modi visited Austria in July. He is the first Prime Minister of India to visit the country after 41 years. According to analysts, India under Modi believes that the countries of Central Europe will play an important role in future geopolitics now. And good relations with these countries will benefit Delhi. And Modi's visit to Kiev was not the only focus on the conflict in Ukraine. But he went on the journey with a greater purpose.
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